Canada’s War on Marijuana Expanding on All Fronts

By
Jeremiah Vandermeer, Cannabis Culture
on January 13, 2011

CANNABIS CULTURE – Canada is escalating its war on cannabis and the casualties are piling up on multiple fronts across the nation.

It seems like it was just a few years ago that Canadian marijuana users were feeling hopeful about the future of the country’s drug laws. The turn of the century ushered in significant reform to Canada’s medical marijuana laws, allowing patients access to cannabis through a federal medical licensing program. In 2002, after interviewing hundreds of experts and studying the issue for two years, the Senate of Canada recommended that marijuana be completely legalized. Activist entrepreneur Marc Emery sold cannabis seeds openly and toured the country during the “Summer of Legalization”. And a Liberal Prime Minister promised country-wide decriminalization of marijuana, but half-jokingly cautioned, “don’t start to smoke yet”.

His words would turn out to be foreshadowing of things to come in Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Canada, where delays in medical marijuana licences are now turning sick Canadians into criminals; where Marc Emery has been arrested and exiled to a run-down US prison; and where the Senate of Canada has passed legislation making non-violent cannabis crimes punishable by American-style mandatory minimum sentences – in preparation for a massive expansion of the country’s prison system.

Health Canada Delays Turn Medicine Into Contraband

Though Canada has a functioning medical marijuana program, there is growing debate over just how well it actually functions. Report after report after report has exposed Health Canada’s inability to get medical marijuana users their licences and renewals on time, but the government has done little to fix the problem and stands by silently as formerly-legal medical marijuana users are raided, arrested and left without electricity for the winter.

Medical marijuana user Sam Mellace, who recently sparked a joint in the House of Commons to protest the delays, told Cannabis Culture the government’s inaction is causing more suffering for already-sick individuals.

“People with disabilities are now facing criminal charges because of these delays,” Mellace said. “Why should Canadians who are supposed to be legal medical marijuana users be facing prison for using their medicine? It just does’t make sense.”

Inspections, Raids, and Police Spying

Marijuana is increasingly being used as convenient excuse for authorities to come and (literally) sniff around the homes of Canadian citizens. To combat the “hazards” of marijuana grow-ops, municipalities are now performing “safety inspections” on homes that show “unusually high” power consumption. Some cities have been charging fees upward of $5000 per inspection, even when they don’t find anything illegal.

In a decision with disturbing implications, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in November 2010 that police can obtain household power records and attach digital recording devices to suspected grow homes to track power usage patterns as part of pre-warrant investigations.

Any skunky smell near your home is enough to allow the police to secretly spy on you or kick down your door with a fully-armed SWAT team – even when that smell is actually a real skunk.

In April of 2010, Toronto police conducted a violent raid of one of the oldest compassion clubs in Canada; and in June of 2010, raided another five medical marijuana dispensaries in Quebec. Despite worries of similar raids in Vancouver, several new med-pot dispensaries have opened their doors and have been unaffected.

Big Profits for Provinces in Property Forfeiture and Taxes

As the raids continue, authorities are making sure that Provincial governments get a piece of the prohibition profits by confiscating the homes and property of suspected marijuana growers and selling them for big bucks. Amazingly, civil forfeiture laws like the ones in British Columbia do not require a criminal conviction, meaning a person can lose everything even if they are acquitted of an offence.

As police boast about the millions they’ve made reselling peoples stuff, the Canadian Revenue Agency is working hard to extract taxes from the illegal sales of marijuana. This month, newspapers reported that the Agency is telling compassion clubs to hand over lists of growers who could be targeted for Income Tax payments. Though police turn a blind eye to the clubs, selling marijuana – for medical or recreational purposes – is still illegal in Canada. This doesn’t seem to bother a Revenue Agency spokesman, who told the press his only concern is the income, not the source.

Marc Emery Goes To Jail

Prince of Pot Marc Emery – after years of openly selling marijuana seeds, paying taxes to the government, and using the profits to fund the legalization movement (including Cannabis Culture) – was raided and arrested in 2005 and forced out of the seed business; a business that continues to thrive openly in Canada (and internationally).

Emery was targeted for political purposes, and the DEA admitted as much when they issued a press release the day of his arrest acknowledging the hundreds of thousands of dollars he “channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada.”

“Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on,” the release stated.

After negotiating a plea deal, Emery was extradited to the US by the Conservative government in May of 2010 and is now serving a 5-year sentence. He will attempt to return to Canada through the Treaty Transfer process, which allows Canadian offenders serving time abroad to serve their time at home and be closer to their families.

In another departure from Liberal Party policies of yesteryear, Harper’s Conservatives have refused to allow home a significant percentage of Canadian inmates serving time in other countries, justifying their actions with mind-bendingly smug statements like, “The previous Liberal government put criminals first. We put public safety first.”

Next month, the Canadian and US governments will decide if Emery will be allowed to come home. Click here to find out how you can help convince them.

Emery is probably the most recognized pot activist in Canada, and his extradition sent a chilling message to others that speaking up and making noise about drug policy can land you behind bars.

Mandatory Minimums for Marijuana

After winning a minority government in 2006, the Conservatives under Stephen Harper began pushing legislation that included mandatory minimum jail sentences for marijuana offences; the type of laws responsible for exploding prison populations in the US; the type of laws that the experts and even the US Drug Czar agree don’t work and lead to serious problems.

The legislation, now in its third incarnation as Bill S-10, would make growing as few as six plants punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of six months. Making hash, pot edibles, or extracts and sharing them would be a mandatory 18-month sentence. The bill even includes life sentences for non-violent marijuana crimes.

S-10 was passed quietly by the Senate with hardly a critical peep from the opposition Liberal Party or the press. The bill now moves to the House of Commons for voting before it can become law.

After initially saying marijuana legalization “would create problems” with our American neighbours, the Liberal leader floated the idea of decriminalization at a recent town-hall style meeting. Besides this one seemingly supportive statement, a deafening silence has come over the Liberal party leadership on the issue of marijuana law reform.

Harper’s Prison Nation

Bill S-10 is just one part of the Harper Government’s plan to massively increase the size of Canada’s prison population and spend countless billions of taxpayer dollars on facilities to house all the new, non-violent ‘criminals’.

The Conservatives are pushing several bills that will drastically increase prisoner numbers – including one to abolish the two-for-one-pretrial custody credit and another that tightens parole rules – and are planning on spending lots of cash on thousands of new jail cells.

The Conservative justification for implementing these draconian new jailing policies sounds hollow – as hollow as the heads of the officials doing the justifying. Though the crime rate has been dropping for years, Minister of International Trade Stockwell Day told the press the government must spend billions expanding the prison system to tackle “unreported crime.”

“One statistic of many that concerns us is the amount of crimes that go unreported,” Day said. “Those numbers are alarming and it shows that we can’t take a liberal view to crime.”

If it’s Day’s logic-murdering statement you find a little alarming, you are not alone. The government is not without its critics. As the details of billion-dollar budgets continue to be made public, the Conservatives are coming under increasing fire from opposition parties.

Liberal Public Safety Critic Mark Holland told CTV News that the new policies will hurt, not help Canadians.

“The problem is, these ideas have been tried and failed,” he said. “These are failed Republican policies that came out of states like California, where not only did they spend tens of billions of dollars on prisons, and nearly bankrupted the state, sucking money out of education, health care, and every other priority, but it actually made communities less safe. In California, it drove their rate of reoffending over 70%.”

Former Canadian media baron Conrad Black, who served time in prison for fraud, told the media Harper’s prison expansion policy was “a moral and political catastrophe”.

“The whole notion of confining people into prisons because of an offence that doesn’t imply violence or extreme sociopathic activity is just an heirloom from the middle ages or, indeed, ancient times. It’s only done because it’s always been done. It’s a completely foolish thing to do.”

Prohibition Kills

As Canada escalates the war on drugs, the prohibition profiteers get richer and more powerful. Gangs, which derive their primary source of funding from illegal trade in marijuana and other drugs, are virtually guaranteed a steady source of income under the unregulated Conservative system. Prisons are recruiting centres for gangs, and reoffending rates are expected to increase if the Conservatives are successful in passing their legislation, which leads to further prison expansions, and so on…

In reality, drug gangs and Drug-Warrior politicians have a symbiotic relationship – they both benefit from each other’s existence. The gangs are allowed to survive so Conservative politicians have an enemy to target and exploit for easy votes from a fearful base. A bigger enemy – which includes average Canadian potheads – means a bigger fight, which ultimately means more control for the governing powers. But when it comes to the Drug War, control is not so easy to keep.

The Twin City Bank in Longview, Washington has been serving cannabis dispensaries and other marijuana-related...

Comments

34 Comments

Anonymous on
April 21, 2012 7:54 pm

I’m all for legalization; however, i don’t feel as though it is something important enough to vote for especially if that means voting liberal or NDP who will fuck over our economy. Harper has been a great prime minister, and is making canada a great place to live and work. while he is not for legalization the pro’s of his government far out weigh the cons. people with good jobs will get fucked over by the ndp as they would want to raise taxes. also ndp and liberals would skrew over alberta which is one of the few “have” provinces further jeprodizing canada’s economic well being.

Anonymous on
January 16, 2012 5:51 am

botches just got me for $330, i pit the western union to armin behroozian, richmond hill. i put in a complaint to western union and this little bitch picked upthe money in colligwood ont and showed id. The video is coming. Western Union said they have tons of comlaints on these two bitches.

the cannabis crowd is not necessarily made up of CEO’s who make in 3 days the average salary of median income canadian.Actually the cannabis crowd is often comprised of students (low income)and average income earners…who unfortunately,in these hard times…hesitate to give to defend a cause

Anonymous on
December 20, 2011 9:42 pm

[email protected]= SCAMMERS AND RATS!!!!!
Jonathan Miller of Woodbridge Ontario has a partner (they are two gay dudes) named Armin Behroozian ([email protected]).
of Richmond Hill Ontario.
Both are YORK REGIONAL POLICE rats. BE CAREFUL!!! dealing with these guys as they will rip you off and rat you out. A cop is involved in this elaborate scam. Many have reported it to the YRP and they won’t do a damn thing.
Don’t send western union money to:
Armin Behroozian Richmondhill,Ontario
Jonathan Miller Woodbridge, Ontario

I think Marc Emery should sue the USA under Chapter 11 of NAFTA.
There is a provision that says if a product or service is offered in one territory, the govt s of the other territories can not make laws to discourage fair trade. If they do the person or company must be compensated.
In other words, if a company in the USA makes a product that is sold legally in the USA, but violates Canada’s standards or laws, Canada cannot make legislation banning it, and if they do, they must pay the company for lost profit.
There are lawyers who saw this as a huge opportunity and have built their careers do only these types of cases.

Anonymous on
September 16, 2011 6:53 am

All I know is the C.I.A. hates competition, especially when it comes to the drug trade.

al on
February 21, 2011 7:59 pm

harper should look into legalizing bud only shipped by mail [email protected] is a shining example as well as budmail and other.

Sick.....! on
January 22, 2011 4:16 pm

I wish there were more of us that know this and could bring this truth to the progandized masses. But your right, the masses are to busy with their lives to look up and see what right in front of them.

Sick……..!
January 21, 2011 at 7:34 pm · Reply
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.”
~ Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering,
Nazi Air Force (Luftwaffe) commander, the Nuremberg Trials

Now doesnt this sound familiar? Our politicians use this all the time(knowingly or not).
How often do we hear that our vets are potential terrorists or grumblings about protestors and how unpatriotic they are? They say the same about us reformers , that we are trying to destroy America . Its them we want to put a stop to and they know it so they employ communist, socialist, nationalist veiws such as this against all dessentors. Now whos being unpatriotic.
America, take note, for those who would jail your future childern have taken note. Watch the headlines and sound bites, then , tell me these politicians and drug warriors arent using old tactics of former enemies…Now whos destorying America.

Men that can govern themselves need no governments at all. Maybe people around the world are waking up to this fact.

People need to wake the hell up!!

Sick.....! on
January 22, 2011 4:15 pm

I wish there were more of us that know this and could bring this truth to the progandized masses. But your right, the masses are to busy with their lives to look up and see what right in front of them.

Heres my post from DrugwarRant.com

Sick……..!
January 21, 2011 at 7:34 pm · Reply
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.”
~ Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering,
Nazi Air Force (Luftwaffe) commander, the Nuremberg Trials

Now doesnt this sound familiar? Our politicians use this all the time(knowingly or not).
How often do we hear that our vets are potential terrorists or grumblings about protestors and how unpatriotic they are? They say the same about us reformers , that we are trying to destroy America . Its them we want to put a stop to and they know it so they employ communist, socialist, nationalist veiws such as this against all dessentors. Now whos being unpatriotic.
America, take note, for those who would jail your future childern have taken note. Watch the headlines and sound bites, then , tell me these politicians and drug warriors arent using old tactics of former enemies…Now whos destorying America.

Men that can govern themselves need no governments at all. Maybe people around the world are waking up to this fact.

People need to wake the hell up!!

tim on
January 17, 2011 12:25 pm

Though marijuana is being targeted in public there are still the upside to Canadian pot industries like the growing mail order pot business services like budmail and even international ones like [email protected] and spreading the good herb fast and with it comes the culture.

Anonymous on
January 17, 2011 12:09 am

please tell me which taxes payers are paying $10’s of billions in taxes/tear to fight pot

Anonymous on
January 17, 2011 12:06 am

you have nailed it again samseed…you seem to have a firm grasp of the canadian psyche….many of us squander our time working , paying taxes , educating our kids , living our lives etc and realize that terrorists , criminals , bikers ,organised crime and other maladjusted jerk offs will fade away if we { the government and canadian citizens } just ignore them…thank christ we have insightful non wimps like yourself and mark emery to guide and enlighten us…let me guess you have been toking daily for about 15 years

Anonymous on
January 16, 2011 11:51 pm

samseed boasts the cannabis crowd is organized and mobilized over the entire planet…how is it you raised only $20,000 for emery’s last ”money bomb”….christ that’s a pittance….no wonder he whines about his lost comic books with support like that….

Anonymous on
January 16, 2011 2:36 pm

In regard to the part about Canada being obligated by international treaties like the Single Convention, that treaty is clearly unjust and based on ignorance and disinformation, just like Nicholson’s policies. What does a country do when faced with an unjust treaty? They tell the UN that they are out unless it is revised so that it actually makes the slightest amount of sense. The UN can threaten to block Canada’s drug exports if they don’t go along with their little arbitrary international lawmaking scheme for the purpose of keeping oil, cotton and wood prices up. Then Canada should reply “go ahead, we’ll block all of your imports and stop sending aid to all of the have not countries in the UN”. Do you really think they would follow through with their threat just because of Cannabis? They would back down after the first phone call.

The treaty is just an easy excuse so that none of them actually have to justify Cannabis prohibition in their own country. They just say the UN makes them do it, ignoring the fact that they are one of the most powerful of all UN member countries which gives them a bigger say in what policies are actually implemented. The treaties are wrong, period. To abide by them would mean that Canada is as bad as UN members like Muslim countries where they execute you for Cannabis and the USA where they lock you up for 10 years or more. Why would we want to stoop to their level? Canada is just too gutless to stand up for what’s right. The US just slaps Canada in the nose whenever they get uppity and start talking decriminalzation, then Canada says “sorry sir, I won’t do it again. Please sir, may I have another?”.

Anonymous on
January 16, 2011 2:22 pm

This part shows the extreme ignorance.

“Many Canadians are concerned that a relaxation of the law prohibiting possession of marijuana would result in greater use of the drug and would therefore increase the health and safety hazards with which it is associated. Although research is still continuing on the effects of marijuana use, there is enough information to clearly identify health hazards. Regular and heavy use of cannabis can lead to a psychological or physiological dependence, thereby worsening an individual’s overall condition.”

No, many Canadians have actually read the reports about REDUCED usage in places where the laws have been relaxed, like the Netherlands. Pretty appalling for the Justice Minister of a developed country to be publicly spouting such outright falsehoods. If many Canadians are that ignorant then maybe Nicholson should make a public announcement for them to look at Amsterdam before giving their deluded opinions.

Anonymous on
January 16, 2011 1:20 am

This is not my Canada, this is a theocracy in the making, by Harper and Day. They long to bring back the days of stoning rape victims and cutting off theives’ hands.

Where are the opposition parties and why are they so completely useless?

Beatnuck on
January 16, 2011 1:13 am

Why do taxpayers have to spend tens of billions every year to fight pot? It has nothing to do with crime or public safety — quite the opposite. The biggest opponents of marijuana legalization are those who have the most to lose: the RCMP and organized crime.

Bill S-10 is designed to put mom-and-pop grow-ops out of business and give organized crime a complete monopoly over the domestic pot market, just as it already has in the domestic cocaine and crystal meth markets.

A vote in favour of Bill S-10 is vote for the interests of organized crime.

Samseed on
January 15, 2011 9:18 pm

In case anyone wants to know what the Justice Ministers email looks like regarding bill S-10 that he’s fighting hard to pass. Here it is:

Thank you for your correspondence concerning Bill S-10, the Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act, and the decriminalization of marijuana. I regret the delay in responding.

Illegal drug use is a serious concern for many Canadians, whether in urban centres or smaller communities, and the Government of Canada is taking action to address this complex problem.

On May 5, 2010, the Government tabled in the Senate Bill S-10, which introduces mandatory minimum penalties for people convicted of serious drug offences. This bill intends to disrupt criminal organizations by targeting those who supply illicit drugs and ensuring that offenders face appropriate consequences for their actions.

The proposed amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act would provide mandatory jail time for producing and selling illicit drugs under certain circumstances. Minimum penalties would be imposed, depending on the existence of aggravating factors that make the commission of the offence particularly serious, including whether the production of the drug constituted a potential security, health, or safety hazard.

Bill S-10 is both tough on crime and compassionate to those addicted to illicit drugs. In circumstances where the accused person is addicted to an illegal substance, this bill would allow a court to suspend a sentence while the addicted person takes an approved treatment program. Courts encourage the accused person to deal with the addiction that motivates their criminal behaviour. If the person successfully completes the program, the court may impose a sentence other than the mandatory minimum sentence, such as a suspended sentence.

The proposed legislation will ensure that individuals who commit serious drug crimes are punished through a balanced and focused approach. The Bill does not propose minimum penalties for the offence of simple possession and it requires the presence of aggravating factors before minimum penalties can be imposed.

With respect to the offence of producing between 6 and 200 cannabis plants, this bill proposes a minimum penalty of 6 months of imprisonment. However, in order for this penalty to be imposed, the production must be for the purpose of trafficking. If the production is for personal use, there is no mandatory minimum penalty.

I would also like to point out that Bill S-10 is not directed at producers who have received a permit from Health Canada or persons authorized by Health Canada to use marijuana for medical purposes.

I note your views on legalizing marijuana. However, this drug is a psychoactive substance that causes the alteration of mental and physical functions. The use of psychoactive substances raises issues of public health and safety, both for the user and for those in the broader society affected by the user’s conduct.

Many Canadians are concerned that a relaxation of the law prohibiting possession of marijuana would result in greater use of the drug and would therefore increase the health and safety hazards with which it is associated. Although research is still continuing on the effects of marijuana use, there is enough information to clearly identify health hazards. Regular and heavy use of cannabis can lead to a psychological or physiological dependence, thereby worsening an individual’s overall condition.

Moreover, legalizing access to marijuana would put Canada in contravention of international agreements to which it is a party, including the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. This convention, for instance, obliges Canada to maintain stringent domestic control over certain drugs, including marijuana. In particular, Canada is required to treat possession, sale, cultivation, and importing activities involving this substance as punishable offences.

The Government is opposed to the decriminalization or legalization of illicit drugs and has no intention of decriminalizing the possession of cannabis.

Our government is sending a strong message that serious drug crimes will not be tolerated. I am confident that Bill S-10 will help reduce the supply of illicit drugs and address the crime associated with them, thereby providing Canadians with safer and healthier communities in which to live.

Thank you again for writing.
Yours truly,
The Honourable Rob Nicholson

Samseed on
January 15, 2011 9:01 pm

I have a problem with Ignatieff’s liberal statement here. I received that same Email from him as well. Basically I think this email boils down to this statement “We believe that strong drug laws are part of what is needed to fight gang violence, but equally important are crime prevention initiatives and the proper funding of law enforcement agencies which is where the Harper Conservatives are failing Canadians…”
Politicians need to realize that the War on drugs does not work. All the laws in the world dont matter to someone who is addicted to a drug. Not only that he still puts Cannabis in the same category as other harder drugs.
In this articlehttps://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/09/30/Ignatieff-Says-Liberals-Will-Reintroduce-Marijuana-Decriminalization-Bill
It shows that Ignatieff has been hard on Cannbis in the past. I dont expect that much will change although in this same article from september 2010 he says he will push through a bill to decriminalize marijuana.
I think its all a plea for liberal votes though. Just smoke and mirrors. In another recent article he says ““If you want to get rid of Mr. Harper and want a compassionate, responsible alternative, you’ve got to vote for the Liberals.”
It’s time for Canadians to make a choice between the two parties that have the chance to form a government, he said. “The situation is a moment of choice for Canadians. This is now not the moment for a protest vote, this is a moment to choose between two government alternatives.””
I dont know about you, but after hearing from NDP politicians like Libby Davies and Dana Larsen. Protest vote or not, I think that they reflect myself better than these other goofs. Of course I’m undecided except that I will not vote Conservative. They can go F themselves.

Anonymous on
January 15, 2011 8:12 pm

Here’s the form letter you get from Ignatieff’s office if you write him about Bill S-10. It doesn’t look very promising. The Liberals actually think that making Cannabis production more lucrative will reduce gang violence. I also find it doubtful that growing weed is the primary source of gang violence anyway. Seems to me it’s more likely about cocaine and heroin territory. Have there been a lot of Cannabis related killings in Canada lately or something? I must have missed all those. The Bill should be revised so that only Schedule 1 drugs are involved, not Schedule 1 and 2. Schedule 2 contains only one drug, Cannabis. So removing it from the Bill would cause no danger to society whatsoever. Just my opinion. Here’s the form letter.

“Dear Sir/Madame:

On behalf of Michael Ignatieff, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your recent email regarding Bill S-10, the Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act.

Significant evidence relating to this legislation has emerged since this bill was introduced, as a result, members of the Liberal Caucus intend to conduct extensive study in the House of Commons. We believe that strong drug laws are part of what is needed to fight gang violence, but equally important are crime prevention initiatives and the proper funding of law enforcement agencies which is where the Harper Conservatives are failing Canadians.

As with his entire agenda, Stephen Harper’s focus is only on sentencing – he does nothing to promote community safety, to address drug addiction in a meaningful way, or to actually reduce crime. While we support taking measures to reduce gang-related violence, we worry that this is an example of the Conservatives emulating the failed drug policies that were unsuccessful in the United States.

Thank you for taking the time to write to the Leader of the Opposition.

Sincerely,

The Office of Michael Ignatieff

Leader of the Opposition”

Samseed on
January 15, 2011 6:28 pm

Lol, seems to me that the “Cannabis Crowd” is very organized, and mobilized over the entire planet. Unless you’re proposing that we become violent and riot over this. That will not happen. Obviously, as a strong supporter of Legalization, there is no way that I can vote Conservative. But as far as spreading the word, the truth, the science about this plant. I can do that. Wisdom is the only weapon against ignorance.

Samseed on
January 15, 2011 6:24 pm

It’s no secret that the Canadian gov, and US gov, are pulling the same stunts as the Nazis did in Germany. The amazing thing is that the majority of the people are too busy with their jobs, families, illnesses, Entertainment, and so on to see what is happening. We are losing our rights seemingly daily, when the gov is using every little blip on the radar to scare people into thinking more security is good for them. I have news for you more security means less freedom. So we can make the choice to follow the Nazis by reporting on our neighbours and friends for any little thing, we can have eyes watching us on every street corning cataloging our moves, we can be radiated by TSA scanners at the airport to feel safe, We can carry little cards around with us to be tracked and identified by anyone with a scanner. But how safe will you be when you’re the target? I myself will take freedom any day, but I’m not a wimp. I expect only the weak and those who are full of fear will cherish the Governments security and give up their rights.

Anonymous on
January 15, 2011 6:10 pm

No doubt Nemo. People need to educate themselves about the bilderberg’s. Look up the video “Endgame” on youtube by Alex Jones to see him confront the Bilderberg conference in Ottawa a few years back. This group is the bankers, politicians, media, that manipulate and control us all. People you know and have heard of make up this so called group of “elites”. IMO they are fighting against a plant that helped us build our nations, and without it, we would have never made it this far. LEGALIZE! They are trying to make us into the equivalent of rapists, thieves and murderers.

nemo on
January 15, 2011 4:47 pm

Got the job after impressing them in his meeting with them in Versailles in 2003. Before that he was a nobody. After that Bilderberg meeting his going-nowhere fast campaign took off like a shot. Now he’s dutifully performing according to his foreign fascist masters. Which is to prevent any non-petroleum based energy sources from being developed…and that especially means cannabis.

It’s not that Harper is beholden to the Americans when it comes to illegal drugs; Obama met with the B’s in 2008 and he’s as much their tool as Harper. The drugs issue is being used in Canada the way it was in America, to set up the machinery of a fascist police state under the rubric of ‘public safety’. Don’t bother with the puppets on the stage, look up to see who’s jerking their strings.

Anonymous on
January 14, 2011 9:26 am

unusual high power consumption .. sounds like the average 600w grower wont have to worry about this?

Anonymous on
January 14, 2011 4:06 am

Keep on a bashing Cannabis Crowd.

Bruce Cain on
January 14, 2011 12:30 am

Forget “taxing, regulating and controlling” our sacred plant. The only real solution can be found in Jack Herer’s CCHH or Bruce Cain’s MERP Models. Personal cultivation must be left alone.

IF HARPER’S FATE IS TIED TO THE ”CANNABIS CROWD” GETTING BOTH ORGANIZED AND MOBILIZED AND GETTING OUT AND VOTING THEN I WOULD SAY HE DOESN’T HAVE A THING TO WORRY ABOUT

Anonymous on
January 13, 2011 10:59 pm

This is a way for PRIVATE PRISONS to make TONS & TONS of MONEY!!!!

MOTFA on
January 13, 2011 10:47 pm

I am the first to admit i don’t know much about conrad black, but i listened to his call, and have to admit he is a very eloquent speaker and really knows how to get his point across. He made some excellent points which i agree with, that anyone with a brain would agree with.

His time as come he {harper}should be voted out.If we want american style law we can moved there and maybe that is what harper should do and any other canadian who agrie with him.I for one never liked him or is ideology.